I have been saving Wrasslers XXXX Stout for quite some time. I had heard this was one of the best stouts you can buy, at least according the beer version of Michael Jackson. Well, Mr. Jackson (may he rest in peace) must have a better palate than I, for this beer just didn’t impress me. At $15+ for the big bottle, my neighbor Brent and I both agree that there are better stouts.

It pours a lighter color than some, Ten Fidy, for instance, and you can see that it is translucent when you hold the glass to the light. It has a really, really nice head to it that grows happily as you pour it into the glass. You can smell faint roasted malts and dark chocolate as you sniff away. A taste of this, though, belies the bottle and the hype and brings you a pretty standard stout. It is very carbonated and you can feel the carbonation prickling your tongue as you drink. The temperature didn’t help this one out… from the first sip at about 48 degrees to the last near 55 degrees, this beer really didn’t get any better.

Not saying this is bad beer, but compared to the beer from earlier in the day, Dick’s Cream Stout, and one of my new favorites, Ten Fidy, this one will stay at the store next time I see it.